Tongue-support



Nu. 6l8,278. Patented Ian. 24, 1899. A. L. LUCAS.

TONGUE SUPPORT.

(Application filed Nov. 21, 1898.:

(No Model.) 2 Sheets Sheet v Q A.

g2? RE a J w H I w 1 2 222% g g w Patented Jan. 24, I899. A. L. LUCAS. v

TONGUE SUPPORT.

(Application filed Nov. 21, 1898.\

2 SheetsSheet 2.

(No Model.)

UNirnn STATES PATENT rich.

ARTHUR L. LUCAS, OF SLATER, MISSOURI.

TONGUE-SUPPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 618,278, dated January 24, 1899.

Application fil d November 21, 1898. Serial No. 697,035. (No model.)

To all w/t'om it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ARTHUR L. LUCAS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Slater, in the county of Saline and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Tongue-Supports for Harvesters and Vehicles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in supports for the tongues or poles of vehicles and harvesting-machines, and has for its object to provide a simple, durable, and eflicient device of this character adapted to rest upon the ground and sustain the tongue and body or frame of the vehicle or machine when the latter is at rest, and thereby relieve the draft-animals of the weight thereof.

A further object is to provide an extensible support which may be readily and conveniently adjusted when the tongue is raised or lowered and which is adapted to yield and accommodate itself to irregularities in the surface of the ground and to ride over obstructions without injury.

lVith these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrange ment of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevational view of portion of a tongue or pole having my improved support applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the support detached and on an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is a similar view taken at right angles to the section shown in Fig. 2. Fig. i is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the manner in which the support, tilts in riding over an obstruction. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the head or attaching member. Fig. 6 is aview similar to Fig. 3, but showing a modification in the construction of the locking means.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein like letters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, A represents the head or attaching member of the support, which is provided with a rounded or convex lower face B, surmounted by an annular shoulder c, an upper inclined annular flange 0, adapted to bear against the under side of the tongue or pole D, and a rectangular opening (I, countersunk at its lowerend to form a socket D, opening through said rounded lower face. Fitted into this socket is the base portion of the head 6 of a bolt E, which projects upwardly through said opening (Z and beam and has a nut e applied thereto to hold the attaching member firmly clamped against the beam. That portion of the shank of the bolt which passes through the rectangular opening d is also made rectangular to prevent the attaching memberfrom turning thereon,while the flange O is inclined to conform to the inclination of the beam and allow the support to stand vertical. This flange maybe dispensed with, if desired, and the upper face of the attaching member inclined to serve the same purpose.

Arranged to bear normally against the shoulder cisa tilting cup F, which incloses the convex face B and is provided with an opening f, countersunk to receive the crown portion or extremity of the bolt-head e, which serves to hold the cup against independent rocking movement or lateral play. A threaded socket g, projecting from the under side of the cup, is in communication with the said opening therein, and connected to this socket is a relatively-stationary sleeve I l, provided with a longitudinal slot h, having a series of lateral offsets or notches h in one of the side walls thereof. An extensible tube I is slidably mounted in this sleeve and carries a lockingpin 2 arranged to traverse said slot and adapted to engage either one of the notches, so that the tube may be adjusted to lengthen the support and securely locked against dis placement by sliding it out to the desired extent and then giving it a slight turn to bring the pin into the proper notch in a manner that will be readily understood. A foot-piece j is secured to the lower end of the extensible tube and is adapted when the support is in use to rest upon the surface of the ground and when the tube is closed to bear against the lower end of the fixed sleeve H.

The tilting cup, sleeve, and extensible tube, comprising the support proper, are secured to ICO the head or attaching member A by a jointed expansible connection therebetween, consisting of a stiff helical spring K, inelosed in the tube and having hooks at the upper and lower ends thereof to respectively engage eyes Z and m on the foot-piece and lower end of a link N, which link is also provided at its upper end with an eye to engage a similar eye 0 on the head of the bolt E, whereby a swivel or universal joint is afforded between the head or attaching member and the support proper to allow the latter to swing freely both longitudinally and transversely of the beam. The spring normally serves to draw the extensible tube inward and hold the tilting cup closely in contact with the head A and is adapted to expand to permit of the tube being drawn out whenever it is desired to lengthen the support, the tube being held extended against the tension of the spring by the locking-pin engaging one of the lateral offsets or notches.

The support shown in Fig. (i is the same in construction as that illustrated in the other figures and heretofore described, except that different locking mechanism is employed. This comprises a thumb-lever P, pivoted to the sleeve and carrying at one end a pin (1, projecting through an opening in the sleeve and adapted to engage either one of a series of openings 1 in the sliding tube to hold the latter extended against the tension of the spring. A spring 5, bearing on the opposite end of the lever, normally holds the pin in engaging position.

In practice the support is preferably secured in rear of the center of the beam and adjusted so that it will hang pendent when the vehicle or harvester is in motion, with its foot-piece a short distance above the surface of the ground. hen the support is applied to a binder or similar machine where the weight of the tongue and frame is almost, if not entirely, counterbalanced by the Weight of the driver, the downward tilting of the tongue caused by the forward movement of the frame when the driver leaves his seat will bring the support in contact with the ground, so that it will sustain the tongue and frame and relieve the draft-animals of the weight thereof, or this may be accomplished by the driver before he leaves his seat by shifting the frame forward in the usual manner through the medium of the tilting lever. The support may be adjusted in the manner heretofore described whenever the frame and tongue are raised above the normal height, so. as to 4, and thus allow the lower end of the support to swing freely backward and ride over the obstruction, the spiral spring expanding to accommodate for this movement and then contracting when the obstruction is passed to draw the support back to its normal position. By means of the expansible swiveljoint connection between the head and support proper the support is adapted to yield both longitudinally and transversely of the beam to prevent injury thereto when an obstruction is encountered during the forward running or turning of the machine.

It will of course be understood that the invention is not confined to the particular details or combinations constituting its preferred form, but that various modifications may be resorted to such as circumstances or the judgment of those skilled in the art may dictate.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. A tongue-support, comprising a head or attaching member, a support proper, and an expansible joint connection between said parts.

2. A tongue-support, comprising a head or attaching member, a tubular support proper, and an inelosed eXpansible-joint connection between said parts.

3. A tongue-support, comprising ahead or attaching member, a support proper, and an expansible member secured at one end to the support and jointed at the other end to the head.

4. A tongue-support, comprising a head or attaching member, a tubular support proper, and an expansible member inelosed in said support and secured at one end thereto and jointed at the other end to the head.

5. A tongue-support, comprising a head or attaching member, a tubular support proper, and a spiral spring inelosed in the support and secured at its lower end thereto and jointed at its upper end to the head.

6. A tongue-support, comprising a head or attaching member,an adjustable support having an extensible member, and an expansiblejoint connection between the head and ex tensible member.

7. A tongue-support, comprising a head or attaching member, a tubular support proper, a spiral spring inelosed in the support and secured at one end thereto, and a connection between the other end of the spring and head and jointed to the latter.

S. A tongue-support, comprising a head or attaching member, a tubular telescopic support, and a spring inelosed in the sliding member of the support and secured at one end thereto and jointed at its other end to the head.

9. A tongue-support, comprising a head or attaching member, a tubular support proper, a spiral spring inelosed in the support and secured at one end thereto, and a link jointed to the opposite end of the spring and head.

10. A tongue-support, comprising ahead or attaching member, a tubular extensible support, a spiral spring inclosed in the sliding member of the support and secured at one end thereto, and a link jointed to the opposite end of the spring and head.

11. A ton gue-support, comprising a head or attaching member, a tubular extensible support proper, a spiral spring inclosed in the extensible member of the support and secured at one end thereto, an articulating connection between the head and other end of the spring, and locking means for holding said extensible member adjusted against the tension of the spring.

12. A tongue-support, comprising-a head or attaching member having a rounded or convex bottom face, a tilting cup inclosing said convex face, a stationary sleeve secured thereto, an extensible tube slidably mounted in the sleeve and having a foot-piece, a spiral spring inclosed in the tube and secured at one end to the foot-piece, and an articulating connection between the head and other end of the sleeve.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR L. LUCAS.

Witnesses:

J. B. HAWKINS, G. F. GARNOT. 

